Tinder Is Adding A 'Panic Button' For Emergencies

Serial Killer Conviction Prompts Police To Warn Of Dating App Dangers

Tinder is getting a major update. According to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, the popular dating app will add a panic button to its interface. This button will allow users to alert the police if they feel unsafe while meeting up with a Tinder match IRL. Here's everything you need to know about the safety conscious update.

Tinder’s parent company, Match Group, Inc., collaborated with another app called Noonlight in order to provide the panic button service. Noonlight is able to track the Tinder user’s location, as well as send notifications to the police if safety issues arise. The upgrade will be free for all U.S. Tinder users by the end of the month. WSJ reports other dating apps will also partner with Noonlight to add panic buttons, as well, over the coming months.

The panic button will be an opt in service which requires Tinder users to add a badge to their dating profiles. This badge will let other users and potential matches know they are protected by Noonlight's tracking feature. The idea is that anyone who might potentially cause harm will be deterred by the badge. Match Group’s chief executive Mandy Ginsberg told the Journal, “You should run a dating business as if you are a mom. I think a lot about safety, especially on our platforms, and what we can do to curtail bad behavior. There are a lot of things we tell users to do. But if we can provide tools on top of that, we should do that as well.”

Ginsberg also addressed any privacy concerns users may have about Noonlight's tracking service. According to Ginsberg, Tinder won't use any of the collected data for marketing or sales purposes. In addition to privacy concerns, Ginsberg also shut down speculation this update would overrun police with "false positives" if users accidentally hit the panic button while out on a date. “The false positives, believe me, we took them into account … Worst case someone shows up and knocks on the door. It’s not the worst thing in the world," she told the WSJ.

What do you think of Tinder's new panic button?

Photo: Getty


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content